1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, and more particularly, to a digital camera equipped with a large-screen display section and suitable for photography and playback of images.
2. Description of the Related Art
In digital cameras provided with display sections such as liquid crystal monitors, the increase in size of display sections has created conflicting issues of improvement in gripability of such digital cameras and downsizing of the camera main bodies. In other words, in a digital camera equipped with a large-screen display section, only a grip portion of the camera main body must be enlarged in order to enhance gripability. Additionally, in light of the increased size in display screens, various innovations have been made on digital cameras in order to protect their display screens from scratches or stains. For instance, a digital camera with a built-in cover member for protecting a display screen is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-298773.
In this digital camera, a cover member is provided on the camera main body so as to be slidable. When the camera is not in use, the cover member is pushed back into the camera main body to be housed therein, and moves to a position which partially or entirely covers the display screen to provide protection thereof. In addition, by pulling out the cover member from the camera main body when using the camera, the entire display screen becomes exposed, and at the same time, the cover member moves to the side of the camera main body to be used as a grip portion, thereby enhancing gripability. Furthermore, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-298773 includes a description of the cover member doubling as a main power switch of the camera, and the main power turned on when the cover member is pulled out. Moreover, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-298773 includes a playback mode for reading out image data stored in a storage section to display the images on a liquid crystal monitor.
A large number of photography operation buttons to be operated during a photography mode are arranged on a camera main body of a typical digital camera. Keeping such photography operation buttons visible to a user even during a playback mode which does not require operating these buttons may cause erroneous operations, and therefore was not necessary a preferred arrangement as far as operability and handleability were concerned.
However, the digital camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-298773 does not discuss any means of improving the above-mentioned operability, and additionally, has a problem in that the overall size of the digital camera becomes larger when used as an image playback device during the playback mode.
The present invention was made in consideration of such circumstances, and its object is to achieve downsizing of a camera main body in a camera equipped with a large-screen display section, and to provide a camera capable of improving operability and gripability during photography and image playback.